Eyesafe 2 .mu.m holmium lasers are of considerable topical interest, having potential use in diverse applications such as altimetry, ranging, low altitude wind shear detection and avoidance, and in atmospheric remote sensing including Doppler lidar wind sensing and water vapor profiling by differential absorption lidar. For next generation instruments, a diode-pumped solid-state transmitter would proffer extended lifetime and higher efficiency as potential benefits. The thulium, holmium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride (or Tm,Ho:YLiF.sub.4) laser potential for atmospheric remote sensing depends on the ability to tune it to either atmospheric window regions or to regions where gases of interest selectively absorb the laser radiation. CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O absorption features overlap the emission spectrum of the laser. These attenuate the beam when the laser frequency overlaps one of these features and reduce the effective range of the laser beam through the atmosphere. However, it is possible with this laser to tune the wavelength into the high transmissivity regions between these absorption features if the application (such as ranging) so requires.